The Department of World Languages and Cultures

General Information

The Department of World Languages and Cultures plays a pivotal role in preparing students to meet their general education requirements and world citizenship in the twenty-first century.

The department offers an undergraduate major and minor in Spanish with minors in French and Portuguese. There is also a sequence of courses offered in Swahili.  Additional courses may be offered in other world languages either by the department or through the University of North Carolina Language Exchange.

The language programs are supported by the Language Media Center which assists students in the development of the essential language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing and culture. Language tutorial assistance is also provided. World language majors and minors from this department are currently working in various professions: teaching, business, medicine, and law.

Vision and/or Mission

The Department of World Languages and Cultures will provide a quality world language education to a diverse student body that will equip them with the necessary cross-cultural linguistic skills to function proficiently in the twenty-first century.

Departmental Goal

The goal of the Department of World Languages and Cultures is to prepare language students, majors and minors with the necessary linguistic and cultural skills that will equip them to communicate successfully in the target language. This focus will allow them to meet the benchmarks of world language education: communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities.

 

Departmental Objectives

·         To develop proficiency in the fundamental language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing, and culture.

·         To provide an in-depth study in world languages, literatures, cultures, and civilizations.

·         To prepare majors and minors to do additional research and studies beyond the undergraduate level.

·         To prepare students for a variety of careers and professions that require knowledge of and fluency in world languages.

 

 

Undergraduate Programs Offered

Major Program

Spanish

 

Minor Programs

Spanish

French

Portuguese

Other Courses Offered

The department offers a sequence of courses in Swahili that satisfy requirements for general education, program electives, and the summer study abroad program in Kenya/Tanzania.

 

Policies

Retroactive Credit Policy for World Languages

 

The Retroactive Credit Policy is designed to grant credit to students with previous language study. Under this policy students who enroll in and successfully complete a course beyond the first semester of beginning World language receive credit for courses they bypassed up to 6 credit hours. Students receive credit towards graduation but no grade for the lower course(s). Retroactive credit is available only for the first language course in which a student enrolls and is given only when the student achieves a grade of C or better. Retroactive credit is not available if a student has received Advanced Placement or transfer credit in the language. Retroactive credit is applied for at the completion of the course.

 

Placement Exams

Students are advised to contact the Department of World Languages and Cultures for guidelines concerning placement.

Proficiency Assessment for Students with World Language Experience

 

Students who have completed at least two years of high school world language may take an appropriate department proficiency examination in an attempt to qualify for the intermediate level or above.

 

Students may also receive credit toward the Spanish major or world language minors by challenging and passing appropriate department examinations.

 

Study Abroad

In conjunction with the Office of International Programs, the department supports study abroad programs which provide students with opportunities to earn credits toward the major and minors, and to develop cross-cultural sensibilities. The department strongly recommends that students participate in study abroad programs. For students earning the major in Spanish, study abroad transfer credits may be applied towards the major. SPA 4391- Senior Seminar must be taken at WSSU.

 

Undergraduate Major Program

B.A. in Spanish

Program Description 

Knowledge of languages other than English is vital in the increasingly interconnected world of the twenty-first century. Learning another language has a dramatic impact on one’s understanding of how languages and cultures differ, and it even increases one’s skill in using one’s first language. Studying a world language is an excellent choice for students who want to broaden their cultural and critical competence at the same time that they make themselves more competitive in a global workplace. Majoring in Spanish, one of the world’s most widely spoken languages, gives students access to careers in diplomacy, international business, the military, technology, medical fields, law, education, and many other fields which require varied and excellent communication skills.

The undergraduate major program in Spanish is designed to accomplish four goals:

1.       To develop proficiency in the fundamental language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and viewing.

2.      To provide an in-depth study in the language, literature, culture, and civilization of Spanish-speaking peoples.

3.      To prepare majors to do research and study at the graduate level.

4.      To prepare majors for a variety of careers and professions that require knowledge of, and fluency in Spanish.

 

Students who major in Spanish learn to speak and write well. They read literature and learn about its cultural context so as to better understand both literature and culture. Also, they become skilled in analyzing, evaluating, and responding to a wide range of texts composed in Spanish.  In completing the required minimum of thirty (30) semester hours of course work beyond the intermediate level, Spanish majors take advanced courses in Hispanic literature, civilization, conversation, linguistics, and composition, and they consolidate and extend their study of Spanish in a three-hour senior-level capstone course.

Student Learning Outcomes for the Major

Students will demonstrate an advanced level of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and culture in Spanish.

1.       Students will be able to apply critical thinking and analytical reasoning to the linguistic, literary, historical and cultural components of the language.

2.      Students will demonstrate mastery of the five goals of world language study: communication, cultures, connection, comparisons, and communities.

 

Major Requirements

Students who want to major in Spanish must have completed SPA 2311-2312 or shown evidence that they have achieved an equal level of proficiency in Spanish.

The core courses for the Spanish major include nine (9) hours of composition and linguistics, six (6) hours of advanced conversation, and six (6) hours of literature and culture and SPA 4391 Senior Seminar in Spanish three (3) hours. Twelve hours (12) of Spanish electives allow students to pursue special interests, benefit from internships or study abroad, and deepen their knowledge of Hispanic literature and culture. During the senior year, students complete the major with a seminar which serves as a capstone course.  Additionally:

·         All courses taken for the major must be completed with a grade of C or better.

·         Upon completion of all major requirements, students majoring in Spanish must pass a standardized oral proficiency test (Exit Interview).

·         Transfer credit may be accepted if the courses taken fit satisfactorily into the plan for the major outlined at WSSU and if students meet all other requirements for transfer students, including the residency requirement, and approval of the department chair.

Minor Requirements

Spanish majors are required to choose an area of concentration or a minor (18-21 hours) in any discipline in consultation with their academic advisors.  

Admission Requirements for the Major

Students who want to minor in Spanish must begin with the course sequence SPA 2311- SPA 2312, or show evidence that they have achieved an equal level of proficiency in Spanish.

Spanish Core (Twenty-four semester hours; all are required.)

•     SPA 3310 - Spanish Composition and Grammar

•     SPA 3311 - Hispanic Civilization

•     SPA 3312 - Spanish Phonetics

•     SPA 3316 - Spanish Conversation and Pronunciation

•     SPA 3333 - Survey of Spanish Literature or SPA 3335 - Survey of Spanish-American Literature

•     SPA 3339 – Survey of Latino Literature

•     SPA 4309 - Advanced Spanish Conversation

•     SPA 4350 - Senior Composition in Spanish

•     SPA 4391 - Senior Seminar in Spanish

 

Pre-Requisite Courses

SPA 3310 – Spanish Composition and Grammar, and SPA 3316 – Spanish conversation and Pronunciation are offered only in the fall semester. Students are strongly encouraged to take these courses before they take other 3000- or 4000 level courses.

Spanish Major Electives (Twelve semester hours are required.)

Students may choose from the following courses:

•     SPA 3333 - Survey of Spanish Literature or SPA 3335 - Survey of Spanish-American Literature

 

(Any course not counted in the core may be taken as a major elective.)

 

•     SPA 3339 - Survey of Latino Literature

•     SPA 4333 - Masterpieces of Hispanic Fiction

•     SPA 4334 - Masterpieces of Hispanic Drama

•     SPA 4335 - Masterpieces of Hispanic Poetry

•     SPA 4336 - Independent Study

•     SPA4338 - Masterpieces of Afro-Hispanic Literature

•     SPA 4340 - Cervantes

•     SPA 4390 - Special Topics or Readings in Hispanic Culture

•     SPA 4093 - Spanish Internship

 

Course Notes

SPA 4391 - Senior Seminar in Spanish is a capstone course and should be taken in the senior year.

 

Major Course Sequence

SPA 3310 – Spanish Composition and Grammar and SPA 3316 – Spanish Conversation and Pronunciation should be taken at the beginning of the course of study for the major or minor because they are prerequisite to many 3000- or 4000-level literature courses.

 

The following required courses are taught only in the fall semester:

SPA 3310 – Spanish Composition and Grammar

SPA 3316 – Spanish Conversation and Pronunciation

 

The following courses are taught only in the spring semester:

SPA 3333 – Survey of Spanish Literature

SPA 3335 – Survey of Spanish-American Literature

SPA 3339 – Survey of Latino Literature

 

Number of Semester Hours Required for the Major

123 – 126 semester hours are required for the major in Spanish.  

 

Spanish Minor

Program Description

The program of study for the minor in Spanish consists of a minimum of eighteen (18) semester hours above the elementary level. The intermediate level of the language is a prerequisite for all upper level courses leading to the minor. To satisfy the minor requirement in Spanish, all courses must be taken and completed with a grade of C or better.

 

Student Learning Outcomes

1.       Students will demonstrate an advanced level of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and culture.

2.      Students will be able to apply critical thinking and analytical reasoning to the linguistic, literary, historical and cultural components of the language.

3.      Students will demonstrate mastery of the five goals of world language study: communication, cultures, connection, comparisons, and communities.

 

Minor Requirements

Students who want to minor in Spanish must begin with the course sequence SPA 2311- SPA 2312, or show evidence that they have achieved an equal level of proficiency in Spanish.

·         SPA 2311 - Intermediate Spanish I

·         SPA 2312 - Intermediate Spanish II

·         SPA 3310 - Spanish Composition and Grammar

·         SPA 3311 - Hispanic Civilization

·         SPA 3316 - Spanish Conversation and Pronunciation

 

 

Students should choose the remaining 3 semester hours from the following courses:

 

·         SPA 3333 - Survey of Spanish Literature

·         SPA 3335 - Survey of Spanish-American Literature

·         SPA 3339 - Survey of Latino Literature

·         SPA 4338 - Masterpieces of Afro-Hispanic Literature (3000 level literature prerequisite required)

 

Minor Course Sequence

·         SPA 3310 – Spanish Composition and Grammar, and SPA 3316 – Spanish Conversation and Pronunciation are offered only in the fall semester, and students are strongly encouraged to take these courses before they take other 3000- or 4000-level courses.

 

·         SPA 3311- Hispanic Civilization, and any one of the following literature courses (SPA 3333, SPA 3335 or SPA 3339) are offered only once a year the spring semester.

Other Information

Study Abroad Opportunities for Spanish Minors

 

With the approval of the department and the Office of International Programs, students may also include up to 6 semester hours of credit from study abroad programs as long as these courses are taught in Spanish and have content related to the Spanish language or the Spanish-speaking world.

 

 

 

French Minor

Program Description

The program of study for a minor in French consists of a minimum of eighteen (18) semester hours above the elementary level. The intermediate level of the language is a prerequisite for all upper level courses leading to the minor. To satisfy the minor requirement in French, all courses must be taken and completed with a grade of C or better.

 

 

Student Learning Outcomes

1.       Students will demonstrate an advanced level of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and culture.

2.      Students will be able to apply critical thinking and analytical reasoning to the linguistic, literary, historical and cultural components of the language.

3.      Students will demonstrate mastery of the five goals of world language study: communication, cultures, connection, comparisons, and communities.

 

Minor Requirements

Students who want to minor in French must begin with the course sequence FRE 2311- FRE 2312, or show evidence that they have achieved an equal level of proficiency in French.

 

·         FRE 2311 - Intermediate French I

·         FRE 2312 - Intermediate French II

·         FRE 3306 - French Composition and Grammar

·         FRE 3311 - French Civilization

·         FRE 3312 – French Conversation and Pronunciation

 

 

Students should choose the remaining 3 semester hours from the following courses:

 

·         FRE 3310 - Survey of French Literature

·         FRE 3318 - French Literature of the 17th Century

·         FRE 3324 – 20th Century French Prose

 

Minor Course Sequence

FRE 3306 – French Composition and Grammar, and FRE 3312 – French Conversation and Pronunciation are offered in the fall and spring semesters respectively. Students are strongly encouraged to take these courses in this order and before they take other 3000- or 4000-level courses.  

 

 

Other Information

Study Abroad Opportunities for French Minors

 

With the approval of the department, students may include up to 6 semester hours of credit from study abroad programs approved by the office of International Programs. Such courses must be taught in French and have French language content.

 

 

 Portuguese Minor

Program Description

The program of study for a minor in Portuguese consists of a minimum of eighteen (18) semester hours above the elementary level. The intermediate level of the language is a prerequisite to all upper level courses leading toward the minor.  To satisfy the minor requirements, all courses must be taken and completed with a grade of C or better.

 

 

Minor Requirements

Students who want to minor in Portuguese must begin with the course sequence POR 2311- POR 2312, or show evidence that they have achieved an equal level of proficiency in Portuguese.

 

·         POR 2311 - Intermediate Portuguese I

·         POR 2312 - Intermediate Portuguese II

·         POR 3309 – Portuguese Conversation and Pronunciation

·         POR 3310 – Portuguese Composition and Grammar

·         POR 3312 - Cultures of the Portuguese-Speaking World

·         POR 3333 - Survey of Literature in Portuguese

 

 

Student Learning Outcomes

1.       Students will demonstrate an advanced level of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and culture.

2.      Students will be able to apply critical thinking and analytical reasoning to the linguistic, literary, historical and cultural components of the language.

3.      Students will demonstrate mastery of the five goals of world language study: communication, cultures, connection, comparisons, and communities.

 

Minor Course Sequence

POR 3309 – Portuguese Conversation and Pronunciation and POR 3310 – Portuguese Composition and Grammar are offered in the fall and spring semesters respectively. Students are strongly encouraged to take these courses in this order and before they take other 3000- or 4000-level courses.  

 

Other Information

Study Abroad Opportunities for Portuguese Minors

 

With the approval of the department and the Office of International Programs, students may also include up to 6 semester hours of credit from study abroad programs as long as these courses are taught in Portuguese and have content related to the Portuguese language or the Portuguese-speaking world.

 

   

Courses in Swahili

Students may take a sequence of courses in Swahili to satisfy requirements for general education, program electives, and the summer study abroad program in Kenya/Tanzania.

·         SWA 1311- Elementary Swahili I

·         SWA 1312 - Elementary Swahili II

·         SWA 2311 - Intermediate Swahili I

·         SWA 2312 - Intermediate Swahili II

·         SWA 3310 – Swahili Composition and Grammar

·         SWA 3316 – Swahili Conversation and Pronunciation

 

 

 Foreign Language Studies (FLS)

Foreign Language Studies (FLS) courses cover literatures and cultures from areas other than where French, Portuguese, Spanish, or Swahili are spoken. Also, FLS courses give WSSU students opportunities to study world languages through study abroad, the UNC Language Exchange via UNC Online, or at institutions other than WSSU. This last group may include inter-institutional registration and summer school outside of WSSU. Students have the following options:

·         To study world languages not regularly offered on campus.  

 

·         To earn credits for special topics and/or culture courses taught in any world language.

 

·         To earn credits forliterature courses in English translation from world languages other than French, Portuguese, Spanish, or Swahili.

Courses

·         FLS 1110 - Foreign Languages Study Abroad I (1 - 6)       

·         FLS 2110 - Foreign Languages Study Abroad II (1 - 6)     

·         FLS 3110 - Foreign Languages Study Abroad III (1 - 6)                

·         FLS 4110 - Foreign Languages Study Abroad IV (1 - 6)

 

·         FLS 3401 - Foreign Languages Studies I (1 - 6)                  

·         FLS 3402 - Foreign Languages Studies II (1 - 6)

 

·         FLS 2300 - Foreign Languages Practicum (1 - 6)             

·         FLS 2301 - Foreign Languages Films (3)                

·         FLS 2307 - Foreign Languages for Survival Purposes (3)            

·         FLS 2315 - Literature of the African Diaspora in the Americas (3)                    

·         FLS 2317 - The African Epic and Oral Traditions (3)                    

·         FLS 2320 - An Introduction to Contemporary African Literature (3)  

·         FLS 2323 - African Culture Through Dance and Music    (3)                  

 

University of North Carolina Language Exchange

WSSU students may take world languages offered through the University of North Carolina Language Exchange. Contact the department for current course offerings.